Controlling mechanism.



N5. 864,411.6..` 1 PATBNTED AUG.27,1907.

H. W. CHENEY. CONTROLLING MECHANISM.

'APPLICATION FILED JUNE 30. 1906.

Y 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Fig] .A

y nml-lum nlll lllllllu.

' i /N VEN TOR WITNESSES` Herberl W. Cheng f ,l\ .864,446. 'PATBNTED AUG.27, 1907. y ,I H. W. CHENEY. f

GONTROLLING MECHANIM.-

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 30, 1906.

INVENTOF? I ATTORNEY UNITED STATES YuiiviENfr OEEIOE.

HERBERT w. CHENEY, oE-NORWOOD, OHIO, Assioxon ro irtrsonammns COMPANY, A

CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY, AND 'lllE BULLOOK ELEC'lltltf MAN'Ul-lG'lUltIN( PANY; A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

r con CONTROLLING MECHANISM.

To all whom it may concern: l

Be if known that I, HERBERT W. CHENEY, citizen ofthe United States, residing at Norwood, in the county of YHamilton'and State of Ohio, have invented certain newand uselul Improvements in Controlling Mechanisms, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification. 2 f i yMy invention relates to starting controllers for electric motors and more pau'ticularly to fool-prooi potential starters for polyphase induction motors.

`In my copending application Serial No. 264 ,162, filed .lune 7, 1905, there isdescribed a potential starter for induction motors. My present -invention is an improvement on the structure set forth-il)y said prior application, and its object is to prevent the starting controller from being left in starting position. It has sometimes happened that these controllers when under the charge of inexperienced or careless operators have been left in starting position indefinitely instead of being moved to running position as soon as the motor has gained sufficient speed. As the auto-transformer windings are not proportioned to carry current continuoii'sly but only for the brief period during starting, the result has yoften been that the auto-transformer wind- -ings have been burned out.

In one aspect my invention consists of a starting c onltroller biased toward off position when in starting .positipn, but unbiased when' in'running position.

In amore specificl aspect my invention consists of a controller comprising a rotatable drum having off, starting, and running positions, fixed contacts coperating with the drum, anda spring so arranged that it tends to return the :drum to off position when the latter is in starting position but exerts no influence on the drum when the Ilatterlis `in running position.

Other features of my invention will appear hereinafter and will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

' Figure 1 is a side view of my controller, with thecasing partly broken away to show the operating mechanism. Fig. 2 is a iront view of thecontroller, also with the casing partly'broken away. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the connections of my controller when applied to a three-phasevinduction motor. Fig. 4 is an enlarged view vof the handle returning device, per se.

The details of the startingcontroller proper will not be fully described herein because they form no part of the present invention and are unnecessary to an understanding thereof. For what does not appear in the following description reference is made to my aforesaid copending application. The-three-phase induction motor M is supplied with current from the three-phase'mains f, g'and h. When Specification of Letters" Patent.

Applicationmed June 3o, 1906. serial No. 324,128.

Patented Aug'. 27, 1907.

the controller is in starting position the auto-transformer windings l2 and' l2, whiclrare within the casing 17, are eaclrconnccted lmtween two ol" the mains, the main h being connected to one terminal ol' euch winding. One of the terminals of motor M is connected lo those two terminals ol' the windings l2 and l2 which are connected in common to the mains l1, and the other two motor' terminals are connected to intermediate points on the anto-transformer windings l2 and l2" rospectivoly. The windings l2 and l2n thus constitute in effect a single V-'counected auto-transformer, the main hand the middle terminal of the motor being con'- nected to the middle of the V. when the controller is in running position, the autodransforiner windings 12 and 12A arc entirely disconnected and the motor terminals are connected to the three mains respectively.

In tho controller `shown there is but one starting po'- sition between ruiming and ofi positions, but it is obvious that any desired number of such starting positions may be employed.

The normal operation ofthe controller is continuously in the same direction, a movement through 180C constituting a complete opera tion. The controller drum 2() which is immersed in oil. in the oil tank 40 is moved by the operating handle 33 through gear wheels 29, 30 and 31. The two opposite halvcs'of the controller drum are identical in structure. Each half coperates in turn with each of the two sets of contact fingers during successive operations of the controller, the sets of Contact fingers being on opposite sides of the drum.

The vcontroller is provided with a no'tch plate 38 which coporates with a spring-pressed pawl 38. Thoreare notches in this notch plato atfthc off and running positions, which notches are so arranged that they form ratchet teeth to allow only forward movenient of the controller from these positions. At the starting positions there are no notches in the notch plate, but instead there are raised places between which and the off positions, there are smooth eccentric 'surfaces A48. .When thc controller is in either starting position, one of these eccentric suriaces in cooperation with the spring-pressed pawl or plunger 38 tends to move it backward to off position. The operator is enabled to feel when the controller is in startinggposition by reason of the knobs 49 on the notch plate, which necessitate a heavier pull on the hand1e'33-in order to pass beyond the starting position to'the running position. On the same shaft 32 on which are mounted the notch-plato 38, gear 5K1, and operating handle .''is a collar 50 having projections 5l -and 52. 'In the .path ,through which these projections must travelis the end 'uffa lever-53 Pivoted-on bent bar 54 supported from bolts l6`. Extending from the end of lever 53 and perpendicular to the plane in which .it moves is a pin 55, botweer-I which pin and one of he bolts 1G is a tension spring 56. By reason of this spring the lever 53 is biased toward the position in which it is shown in full lines iu Figs. 2 and 4. The lever 53 is prevented from moving loo iar to the right by means of a pin 5T which strikes against a shoulder 58 011 lnll' 54.

` When the controller is in either starting position, both the spring 5G and the spring-pressed pawl 38 tend to return it to off position, lt is obvious that if desired the springr 56 may be omitted, or the notch plate may be so made that the pawl 38E does not tend to move it backward from the starting position, but the preferred modiiication is as described above, where both devices are used to bias the controller to off position when it is in a starting position.

When the controller' is in either of its off positions, the parts are as shown in Figs. l and 2, or 180 therefrom, thtl position of the collarpvbeing more plainly shown in'rfull lines in Fig. 4. When the controller is moved forward into starting'position, the projection 52 engages the end oi lever 53 and moves the sa me toward ihe left, the position of the projection 52 and the lever 53 when the controller is in starting position beingr shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4. The spring 56 now tends to movethc controller backward to off position and will do so if the hand of thc operator is removed from the handle 33.. The spring pressed pawl 38 in its engagement with the eccentric surfaces 48 of the notch pla-te 38 assists in this. When the motor has started and gained sufficient speed, the operator continuously holding the handle 33 during this starting, the controller is moved forwardinto running position. During the movement of the controller from starting to runningr position, the projection 52 slides off of the end of lever'r and allows said lever to returnto its normal position shown in full lines. The position of the projections 5l and 52 when the controller is in running position is shown in long dashes in Fig. 4. The controller while in this running position is free from any tendency to backward movement, and is locked against such movement by pawl 38a. The handle 33 may now be released bythe operator. 'The controller can only be moved forward from running position, which movement will place the controller again in an off position, this off position being 180 removed from the former oft position and the lingers 51 and 52 having l exchanged places. The same series ol operations may now be repeated, the linger 51 actingl during this operation as the finger 52 did in the one before. i

It is evident that many substitutions and modifications canrbe 'made in the particular structure herein shown and described and 1 intend to cover in m'y claims the broad features of my invention including all such obvious modifications and substitutions.

Whatl claim isz- Si, ln a controller. contact lingers, a rotatable drum co- -A controller biasedto oliy position when in start*-A operating therewith, said drum having: off startingr and runningr positions. and a spring which tends to move said drum lo on position when the latter is in starting posi tion. but exerts no influence on said drum when the latter is iu running7l position. l

4. ln a controller', a rotatable drum, fixed contacts with which said drum cooperates, and means wliereb)v said drum is biased to oil?" position when in .certain operative positions, but when iu certain other operative-positions is unbiased.

5. A controller for electric motors, comprising a rotatable drum, fixed contacts cooperating therewith, said drum b'eing biased to off position when in any starting position, but unbiased when in running position.

6. A controller for electric motors comprising.,r a rota table drum, contact lingers cooperating,r therewith, means for preventing backward movement ,of said drum from the 0E" or running positions and a spi-incY which has no tendency to move the drum when the latter is in olf or running positions but tends to move said drum-to oif" position when the latter is in any other position.

7. A controller for electric motors, comprisingl a rotatable drum, contact fingers cooperatingr therewith, means for preventingr backward movement of the controller from certain positions and a spring which tends to move the controller to oli position when the latter is in any position from which it may be moved baclnvard.

8. A controller for electric motors, comprising a rotatable drum, contact fine-ers cooperatingr therewith. a collar movable with said drum, a projection from said. collar, a spring-pressed lever in the path of said projection and arranged to engage itwhen the controller is in starting; position whereby the controller is returned to olf position if then released, but to be out o1' engagement with it when the controller is in running position.

E). A controller-'for electric motors comprisingr a rota table drum, contact fingers cooperating therewith, a collar movable with said drum, projections from said collar, a 'spring-pressed lever in the path of said projections and arranged to he engaged by one of th'em when the controller is moved into starting position, but to be released from said engagement when the controller is moved into running position, whereby the drum while in starting position is biased toward oft position.

10. -A controller for electric motors, comprising a rotatable drum normally movable always in the same direction, means for preventing backward movement of said controller from ol or runningr position and means tending to move said controller backward to 0115" position when it is in other than oft or running position.

11. A controller for induction motors, comprisini,r a rota table drum having a starting,r position in which the motor is connected to thc'mains through auto-transformer windings and a running.; position in which the motor is counectcd directly to the mains, and means for returning the controller to-ol position if it is released while in .starting position.

12. A controller for induction motors, comprising,r a rotatatable'drum having separate ol! starting,r and running positions, connections whereby the controller whenv in startlngp'osition connects the motor to the mains through auto-transformer windings and when in runniny,r position connects the motor llirectly to the mains :1nd disconnects the auto-transform l' windings, means for preventingr backward movement of the controller save from starting posi- A 1 tionrimd means* tending to move the controller backward whcnit i s in starting position.

1.3. A stai-tim;r controller for electric motors, comprising a switch, an operating shaft, gearing between the operating shaft and switch. and means to automatically return the switch io its oli position if it is left at any point between olt' :1nd running,r positions.

14. A starting controller for electric motors, comprising u drum` an operating shaft, means to drive the drum fron the operating,r shaft, nud means acting' upon the operating,r shaft lending 1o lurn il in n backward direction during prodcicruliucd :meh-s ol' its movi-nient.

lo. ln :t controller, a rotatable druiu, :in opcralinnr shaft thcrol'or, a notch-plato mounted upon the shall, :l spring plunger co-acting with the notch-plaie 11o locate it and tolock it against backward movement in certain posi! tions and to assist a backward movement in certain other.`

positions.

Y 1G. A controller for electric motors comprising an oil. immersed drum, -a spring,' means to store energy in the v spring during a movement of the drum ton-predetermined operative position/tending to return the drum to off position, and means .whereby a further movement of the drum brings it out of the influence of said spring.

17. A manually operated 'controller comprising fixed and movable members, and means independent of the current tween oit' nnd running,r position and being biased toward "off position when the controller is in starting position but unbiased when the controller is in running position.

19. A manuallyl operated eontroller'eomprising fixed and movnhle members, said movable member being so arranged that if released in a starting position it will return to DE position but if released in a running position will stand ther' without the use of any retaining means.

20. A potential starter for inductionjnotors comprising xed and movable members, said Inovnblefmember having off 'running and intermediate positionspnd mechanism whereby the contact arm can not be left in an intermediate position.

21. A potential starter for induction motors comprising auto-transformer windings, means for connecting the motor to he controlled t0 the line directly or through the :1nto-transformcr windings, und means 'whereby the controller can not be left in a position in which tbe motor is connected to the line through tbe nutoitransformerWindings. l

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses'.

Imnnnn'r w. CHENEY.`

Witnesses:

Goo. `B. Scnnnrl` Flinn. .1'. KINsnY. 

